1920s+Cowboy+Hero+period+4

Andres Romero, Josue Ortiz, Araceli Carrillo, Rebecca Ochoa

//** I made up my mind to change my way, **////** To leave the crowd that was too gay, **////** And leave my native home awhile, **////** And travel west for many a mile. **// //** -anonymouse **// __**The History of the Cowboy Hero**__ STEREOTYPES Cowboys in the Old West are portrayed as your typical, dirty, horse riding type that drank until he fell over; fought everyone around him, rode a horse everywhere, pushed cattle around the county, and was a lonely soul. Aside from their notorious reputation, in the late 19th century and early 20th century they became a figure of special significance and legend (Malone, J., p. 1.). Cowboys are known for their attire in movies but they really didn't dress as fancy, they would wear what ever they could find.

HISTORY & SIGNIFICANCE OF TIME PERIOD The first cowboys originated from Mexico around the 1500's called Vaqueros. They were young men hired by ranchers to drive their cattle in the areas of Mexico to New Mexico an Texas. These Cowboys came from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds which greatly influenced the diversity of the stereotypes of cowboys with the largest group of cowboys being Mexican. (http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/lastcowboy/cowboys.html)

in the 1800's cowboys played a very significant role with the Western movement. As the country expanded and railroads extended farmers and ranchers needed someone to move their livestock to the nearest railroad. Cowboys would be available and great fully accepted the tasks. Aside from driving cattle, Cowboys also played a role in increasing the economy and helping "cowtown" settlements in the West to grow. However with all there help people negatively saw cowboys as violent immoral troublemakers and banned them from towns. (http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/lastcowboy/cowboys.html)

The work of the cowboy soon began to decline. Around the late 1800's private property among farmers began to grow limiting the need of cattle driving and a cowboy. The image of the old western cowboy began to change in the new century and the lifestyle began to spread.

Then who is the cowboy the cowboy of the 1920's? He quickly evolved into a celebrity with a rare type of media at the time. The cowboy was no longer confined to the West, he had been brought to East. With the rise of cinema the cowboy had become not only a star but a Hero. With the image of cowboys portrayed in films, they were transformed into an idol praised for his bravery, honor and skill.

**THEMES** Themes associated with cowboys (Newman, Kim (1990). //Wild West Movies//. Bloomsbury. )
 * The conquest of wilderness [[image:http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSP406Eu0fMZkJB2dI_z9k6CHpWvO43xqeM7cWK9801Za1877aNabfmGaWhdA width="182" height="221" align="right" caption="Pinhead Larry An example of a sterotype of cowboys for being stupid and uneducated."]]
 * Subordination of nature in the name of civilization
 * Confiscation of the territorial rights of the original inhabitants of the frontier
 * Codes of honor and personal, direct or indirect justice
 * Morality

** MARGINALIZATION ** Cowboys had been marginalized ever since they started their work. As civilization moved westward, cowboys were shunned from communities because of their reputation of lawless trouble makers wondering from town to town bringing only violence and immorality. Cowboys were even marginalized to the extent of being banned from towns.

POLITICAL ISSUES A huge political issue with cowboys was that they were considered to be criminals. In the late 1800's they were shunned because of the notoriety of being drunkards that only caused problems. However this changed in the early 1900'2 because of their image as heroes in movies and thir was finally appreciated.



__**Literature**__

**__ Out Where the West Begins  __** Out where the handclasp's a little stronger,

Out where the smile dwells a little longer,

That's where the West begins;

Out where the sun is a little brighter,

Where the snows that fall are a trifle whiter,

Where the bonds of home are a wee bit tighter,

That's where the West begins.

Out where the skies are a trifle bluer,

Out where the friendship's a little truer,

That's where the West begins;

Out where a fresher breeze is blowing,

Where there's laughter in every streamlet flowing,

Where there's more of reaping and less of sowing,

That's where the West begins.

Out where the world is in the making,

Where fewer hearts with despair are aching,

That's where the West begins;

Where there's more of singing and less of sighing,

Where there's more of giving and less of buying,

And a man makes friends without half trying,

That's where the West begins.

-- Arthur Chapman

[|Cowboy stories] [|Cowboy Poetry Cowboy Stories and Western Fun Entertainment]



=__**Music :**__= Many artists didn't like the term "hillbilly," thinking that it portrayed negative cultural stereotypes. But "cowboy" implied romance, heroism, and bravery. By the mid-1930s, artists started wearing fancy outfits with fringe, boots, and cowboy hats. Cowboy music is distinguished by rich harmonies, storytelling, as well as swing and waltz rhythms. [|Cowboy Music History] Wyoming Wind (1996) Babe Humphreys Favorite Rhymes from the Range (2007) Artist:Chris-LeDoux Cowboy [|Country music] =__ Most Popular __= "[|Twang]" || **Alan Jackson** "[|Good Time]" || "[|Cowboy's Back in Town]" || "[|The Reason Why]" || FILMS : The Western films contained the same basic elements: the heroic cowboy expunged all traces of evil from a frontier town, then won the girl in the end. [|The Infamous Billy] - He was portrade as an infamous cowboys in the late 19th century, and in the film industry they portrade him as a hero
 * [[image:http://www.cowboylyrics.com/ama/strait-george_twang_b002fzl96m.jpg width="140" height="140" caption="George Strait - Twang"]]
 * George Strait **
 * Trace Adkins **
 * Little Big Town **

[|John Wayne in the Lawless Frontier]

The art of a Cowboy- anonymous

Famous Artist of the 1920s: Will James was an author of short stories and novels. [|Will James]

Will Rogers one of the worlds best known celebrity in the 20s and 30s. He is also known as Oklahomas favorite son and he also traveled the world 3 times. [|Will Rogers]